Rajon Rondo's triple-double propels the Celtics

For the past few days, we’ve experienced a January thaw. Monday night, the Celtics expected to enjoy a January guffaw. The dreadful Charlotte Bobcats were in town. It didn’t turn out to be a laugher, but the Celtics still managed to defeat the Bobcats, 100-89, at the Garden for their sixth straight victory even though they didn’t try very hard.

For the past few days, we’ve experienced a January thaw. Monday night, the Celtics expected to enjoy a January guffaw. The dreadful Charlotte Bobcats were in town.

It didn’t turn out to be a laugher, but the Celtics still managed to defeat the Bobcats, 100-89, at the Garden for their sixth straight victory even though they didn’t try very hard.

Rajon Rondo was the main reason the Celtics prevailed. The Celtics point guard collected 17 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds for his 26th career triple-double and his 16th in the regular season. It was his third this season.

Rondo was asked before the game about not having as many assists lately, and the question seemed to motivate him. Rondo assisted on Boston’s first four baskets, then scored his team’s next seven points, then assisted on the next basket. By the time Courtney Lee replaced him with 1:28 left in the opening quarter, Rondo had 9 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Rondo said playing against Kemba Walker, Charlotte’s second-year point guard, also got him going.

“I’m getting a little bit older,” said Rondo, who turns 27 next month, “so the younger guys are coming in, and I have a mark on my back being an older guy. I made a couple of All-Star Games. I’m a target every night, so I just want to go out and do what I do best, run the show. I made a lot of lucky shots tonight.”

“I just thought our team early on played with great energy and heart,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said, “and we got a lot of early stops, which allow us to get in transition, and when we get in transition, we’re going to get assists, and Rondo’s going to get a lot because they’re running the floor.”

The Celtics jumped to a 13-2 lead and never trailed. They led by as many as 18 points (50-32) late in the second quarter, but allowed Charlotte, which has lost 23 of its last 25, to open the second half with a 13-2 run to tie the score, 58-58.

Ben Gordon’s jumper pulled the Bobcats within, 78-74, early in the fourth before the Celtics finally put the game away with 9-0 run capped by Lee’s 3-pointer with 5:33 remaining.

Rivers admitted he wasn’t confident about the victory until he pulled Kevin Garnett with 1:14 left.

“We kind of played in spurts,” Rivers said, “which is a bad habit to get into, but we’ll take the win.”

“That’s basketball,” Rondo said. “We’ve come back from an 18-point (deficit). It’s part of it. You’re never safe in this league. It’s a matter of time before guys make shots. They were struggling in the first half. They made shots in the second half.”

The Celtics have won six in row for their longest winning streak since they won 14 straight from Nov. 22 through Dec. 22, 2010.

This was the third consecutive game in which the Celtics allowed a big lead to slip away.

Phoenix used a 17-0 run to take a 58-55 lead early in the second half, and Houston cut a 17-point deficit to two in the fourth quarter.

The Celtics have won 10 of their last 12 against Charlotte.

Paul Pierce had 19 points and six assists.

Avery Bradley made four of seven 3-point attempts and scored a season-high 16 points.

“They still, in the league,” Rivers said, “don’t think he (Bradley) can shoot because the shots he’s getting are unbelievable. They’re wide open, and it’s every night, and we want him to just keep shooting it, and now they’re going in.”

Jeff Green scored 11 off the bench. Garnett made only two of 11 shots and scored just seven points, but pulled down 10 rebounds.

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